The present invention relates to connectors and connector connection structures that are applied to electronic equipment, and in particular, to a connector which is electrically connected to another connector in a manner where a connector having a convex metal shell section is fitted into a connector having a concave metal shell section, a connector connection structure, and electronic equipment provided with the connector or connector connection structure.
In general, regarding electronic equipment, in a connector for connection to external equipment, reinforcing countermeasures relating to grounding are taken against EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) and ESD (Electro Static Discharge).
In an example of a notebook type personal computer (hereinafter, notebook PC) 120 and a docking station 130 shown in FIG. 4, a multipole type interface connector for electrically connecting those pieces of equipment with each other for communication is devised for the reinforcement of the grounding.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a conventional interface connector 100 that is provided on the docking station 130 comprises a synthetic resin connector body 102 where a convex metal shell 104 is mounted, a signal terminal section 106 with 240 pins, and a power supply and ground terminal section 108 with 4 pins.
In addition, guide posts 109 protrude from both end sections of the connector body 102 for positioning the connector at the time when the connector connection is established, and an end of each guide post 109 is made to be a tapered shape.
When this interface connector 100 is installed in the docking station 130, a terminal section 104E of the metal shell 104 that protrudes from a back face of the connector is made to be grounded (earth) through a chassis and the like.
Furthermore, on this metal shell 104, five protruding portions 110 which are arranged in almost equal intervals along the width direction of the connector are formed on each of a top face 104A and a bottom face 104B of the outer surface that becomes a fitting section, and one protruding portion 110 is provided also on each of a right-hand side face 104C and a left-hand side face 104D. All of these protruding portions 110 have the same shape and the same height.
Owing to this, when an interface connector 122 in the notebook PC 120 is connected to the interface connector 100, the metal shell sections of both connectors fits together, and the protruding portions 110 strongly contact to the inner surface of the concave metal shell section of the connector in the notebook PC. Hence, contact resistance is reduced, and hence conductivity (electric conductivity) is improved and grounding is reinforced. In this manner, a malfunction of equipment caused by EMI/ESD is prevented from occurring.
However, in the interface connector 100 described above, as shown in FIG. 7, when the interface connector 122 of the notebook PC is connected thereto, the metal shell 124 of the interface connector 122 is deformed so that the vicinity of a central portion thereof swells out in its width direction (directions shown by an arrow A and an arrow B) by being pressed by the protruding portions 110 arranged near the ends of a top face 104A and a bottom face 104B of the metal shell 104. In the figure, a state of the central portion of the metal shell 124 swelling out is schematically shown by a chain double-dashed line.
Owing to this, there are problems occurring, between the protruding portions 110 arranged in the vicinity of the central portion of the metal shell 104 and the metal shell 124, such as contact pressure (surface pressure) decreases, conductivity deteriorates, and hence a grounding effect in that part worsens.
In present notebook PCs and docking stations, high-level operation guarantees against EMI/ESD are demanded. Since, contact pressure varies in these structures among the protruding portions and the grounding effect often becomes partially weakened as a result, electromagnetic noise is easily superimposed on a signal line, and trouble caused by electro-static discharge readily occurs.
In consideration of the above-described facts, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector, in which conductivity is improved by reducing contact resistance in a connector fitting section, having a connector connection structure, and electronic equipment to which the connector or connector connection structure is applied.
According to one embodiment, the invention is directed to a connector having a convex metal shell section, comprising a plurality of protruding portions provided on a outer surface of the convex metal shell section where a concave metal shell section fits, wherein, protruding portions provided toward a central portion of the outer surface are made higher than protruding portions provided toward edge sides of the outer surface
Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide a connector, in which stabilization of operation of the electronic equipment against EMI/(ESD is planned by reinforcing grounding of the entire connector, a connector connection structure, and electronic equipment to which the connector or connector connection structure is applied.